


dearheart

by starksnack



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 3490, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Nicknames, Oblivious Steve Rogers, Tagged MCU because I borrowed the team dynamics, everyone lives in the tower and they're all domestic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:42:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28524915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starksnack/pseuds/starksnack
Summary: Natasha hands out nicknames like they're candy. They can't mean anything. So Steve tries giving her a loving nickname of his own. Feelings ensue.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Natasha Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 7
Kudos: 66
Collections: 2020 Captain America/Iron Man Holiday Exchange





	dearheart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cap Iron Man Community](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Cap+Iron+Man+Community).



> for the prompt - natasha's nicknames for steve are very affectionate, but she's just kidding - right?
> 
> no beta so please be gentle with me

It’s just something that Natasha does and doesn’t have anything to do with him at all. She needs someone to pass her the ketchup? There’s a ‘darling’ thrown in after the request. She’s asking Dum-E for a wrench? ‘My baby’ is shoehorned into the sentence. She’s caught on the wrong end of the team’s ongoing prank war? Somehow ‘sweetheart; is turned into a curse word.

Nat just likes calling people nicknames like Oprah likes bread; unapologetic and loud. That’s just how it is. Hell, with two Natashas on the team, Stark goes by Nat and Romanova goes by Tasha. Nicknames are just a way of life for her. Steve is familiar with the Stark charm, Howard had been pretty much the same way with nicknames but more sleazy about it. Natasha is genuine though, praising her team mates and lifting their spirits, all with a ‘cutie pie’ tacked on at the end of her sentences. Steve should be long used to her affinity for nicknames by now.

Despite that, every time Natasha calls him honey and tells him she loves him when he hands her a warm cup of morning coffee, his heart does a flip in his chest that has nothing to do with just getting back from his morning run. One time, Steve had been coming out of the gym and Natasha had called him ‘handsome’ leading to him blushing face first into a wall.

Something else Steve realizes is that other than ‘Nat,’ the rest of the team doesn’t have any affectionate nicknames for her. Steve is thinking about it while he sketches the beautiful New York City skyline one afternoon, spread across the warm couch and thinking about everything Nat has done for the team. He comes to the conclusion that it’s kind of unfair for her to give so much love in the way she addresses people and not get anything in return. If anyone deserves to be showered in love and affection it should be her and he’s speaking from more than just the minor crush he has on her. Steve vows he’ll say something sweet to Nat when he sees her next.

The opportunity comes seconds later when Nat saunters into the room, red tank top stained with grease as she slumps onto the couch beside Steve with a heavy sigh interrupted by the yawn that splits her mouth. Rearranging herself, she ends up with her head in Steve’s lap and he understands the silent request for what it is, burying his fingers in her hair and gently carding through her tangled locks.

“Can you pass me the remote dearheart?” Nat asks around a second yawn making grabby hands at Steve.

Steve takes a deep breath. This is his chance. Reaching over to the arm of the couch, Steve grabs the remote, pressing it into Nat’s awaiting hand and making sure their fingers brush as he looks down at her. “Sure thing, doll.”

Her mouth drops open and she sits up so fast she knocks his sketchbook clean out of his hands. “Am I dreaming or did you just call me doll?”

Steve is worried that she’s offended for a moment before he sees the hopeful smile tugging at her disbeliving expression. It spoons courage into his heart and he grins back at her earnestly.

“You bet I did, lovely,” Steve replies laying it on thick and hoping she feels the same way he always does when he hears a nickname from her. There are butterflies eating away at his stomach and he tries to push the thought away to focus on Natasha and how beautiful she looks.

Natasha looks so beautiful when she bites her lip, brushing a chocolate curl out of her face as she looks up at Steve hesitantly through her lashes. The arc reactor casts a soft glow over her chin and Steve thinks he has never seen her look so gorgeous. Then again it’s Natasha and there isn’t a day that goes by where she isn’t a showstopper in appearance or intellect.

“Do you mean it?” she whispers, so quiet that Steve almost misses it. Her cheeks are coloured with a faint blush and it takes some conversation rewinding to even partially understand what she’s saying. Thankfully Natasha is a genius and she clarifies. “Do you like me?”

Steve is drawing in a breath to respond when Nat surges forward to kiss him, fingers cupping his face as she lands almost in his lap. She tastes like coffee and maple syrup and Steve can’t get enough. Getting on board, Steve slides an arm around her waist, pulling her closer as he smiles against her mouth.

“Ew gross, are you guys kissing?”

They both pull apart to send twin glares at Clint over the back of the couch and the archer puts his hands up, backing up into the kitchen. His eyes are wide and he looks kind of terrified. Serves him right for interrupting Steve’s first kiss with Nat. “Sorry, sorry, I’ll make myself scarce.”

“See that you do, or no new arrows for you birdbrain,” Nat calls threateningly after him and Clint shoots them both a thumbs up over his shoulder as he abandons his breakfast and heads for the elevator.

Turning back to Nat, Steve can’t help the surge of joy that lifts his shoulders in happiness. “So now that we’ve established that you like me and I like you,” Steve begins and Nat turns to him eagerly, a wide smile on her face. “Does that mean you have a new nickname for me?”

That has Nat’s brows furrowing in confusion, an adorable pout on her face. “A new nickname?”

Steve laughs, kissing the expression off her face. When he pulls away, he raises a teasing eyebrow at her. “Boyfriend?”

The pleased blush that spreads across her face is Steve’s whole world and after that she calls Steve by his new nickname every single chance she gets.

Steve has a few new nicknames for her too.


End file.
